BUMP OF CHICKEN - Niji wo Matsu Hito(“people who wait for the rainbow”)

Lyrics & Composition: Fujiwara MotooArrangement: BUMP OF CHICKEN

In my sleepless body, a sound leapt and ranIn the darkness from closing my eyes, I create my own color I quietly embrace the pain of being unable to say anything, and singWorn out emotions are moving despite being broken

In the room surrounded by invisible walls I am certainly touched by life

Oh… there’s no key for that door Oh… there’s no key for that door I just never knew how to open it because I never tried Oh… I’ve been free all along

I quietly embrace the pain of coldness, and pray Let’s warm our cold bodies The sound knows every corner of our bodies trying to liveEven if we open our eyes, it’s the same, the color we create ourselves

When the invisible wall can be seenThere’s a beyond, I can see people

Oh… under the rain that calls forth the rainbow Oh… everyone is under the same rain We cannot connect well, but still we laugh Oh… we’re waiting for the same rainbow

Thought I’d jump on BUMP OF CHICKEN’s latest, which I love from a musical standpoint, since it’s so different from their previous work.

This one was a little strange in terms of the pronouns. I wasn’t quite sure whether “I” or “we” was implied, so I used my discretion with both where I thought appropriate.

It’s still typical Fujiwara in that there’s the metaphor, the layer of contemplation, but it's somehow refreshing. I wouldn’t say it’s less loaded, but I think there’s a feeling of frankness in this via the wording? Like the lyrics are written less convoluted.

We’ve been painting a rose-colored life Despite the horrible everyday, we still believe in it That’s why we are still smiling I never want to forget these feelings Let the flames in our hearts burn even stronger

Dance, dance, don’t stop Dance, dance, until we drop dead Dance, dance, our souls will continue to dance It’s not like that This rose-colored dance No matter where we are, these hands will reach out

Given the upbeat, swing-y nature of the song, I was expecting something full-on rejoicing but it turns out the lyrics are a bit darker than that (instead of dancing to celebrate, it’s dancing to overcome the darkness), but I like it better this way.

I’m not sure I understood the second verse that well. I personally think it’s trying to convey that people are too concerned with appearances and that the speaker has had enough of them, and would rather enjoy dancing alone than care about them.

I push myself to try smiling At times I try to act cool The stress of being an adult builds up But I’ve come a long way since my attempts to be popular

I will run more and more, strongly and toughly Kicking common sense to the curb I definitely, definitely believe I won’t lose to anyone Let’s seize the future in our hands, following our original dreams

Those clever dolls were adorned with lies They are dancing to black knowledge If people are stained with it, it’s awkward but okay My heart reflects reality, don’t forget that.

Grasp these hands tightly, tightly and raise them high Let’s keep pushing forward with all our might Surely, surely our great emotions will connect Since we’ll have a new, shining encounter

Unknowingly, complaints come spilling out I stop and stand still, I am also lost Even if I can’t see what’s ahead, I won’t be afraid I’ll muster the greatest courage in history

I will run more and more, strongly and toughly Kicking common sense to the curb I definitely, definitely believe I won’t lose to anyone Let’s seize the future in our hands, following our original dreams

Grasp these hands tightly, tightly and raise them high Let’s keep pushing forward with all our might The most important things cannot be put in words Let’s start running now together, with smiles

**Translator notes: My first thought was “wow, what a hot blooded shounen anime-like song!” I always listened to this song to get myself hyped up for an exam during high school, but I had no idea what the lyrics meant until now. They did turn out to be very much like what I was expecting, though.

Here are my notes on the kanji that were sung differently than their usual pronunciation:

In the first stanza, 問題 (mondai), “problems” is sung as ストレス (sutoresu -> “stress”). I guess Nana meant to highlight the stressful aspects of dealing with all the responsibilities of being an adult.

In the first chorus, 自分 (jibun) which means “myself” or “yourself” depending on context is sung as オリジナル (orijinaru -> “original”). I think this emphasizes that each person’s own dream is theirs and solely theirs and does not come from anyone else.

In the second verse (right after the first chorus), 他人 (tannin), “the others” is sung as ひと (hito), “person/people”. Nana seems to be making a distinction between herself and the people who are stained by the ‘black knowledge’. I think she is implying that she (the speaker in the song) is the only one who is certain of reality while the others are led astray.